Tuck-stitch mechanism foe



R. W. SCOTT.

TLICK STITCH MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. I914.

Patented July 29,

SHEET I.

2 SHEETS III R. w. soon.

TUCK STITCH MECHANISM FOR KNITTINGMACHINES. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25.1914.

- Patented July 29, 1919.

' 2 SHEETSSI-IIEET 2.

V v J i I: II I III fil M4 L 0 n K c I ulif'rtaszi'as' UNITED STATES PaTENT OFFICE.

ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO SCOTT & WILLIAIMS, INCORPORATED, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed July 25, 1914. Serial No. 853,053.

To all whom it may concern Be it known'that I, ROBERT IV. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tuck- Stitch Mechanism for Knitting-h-Iachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for the formation of tuck stitches at predetermined wales of knit fabrics such as stockings.

I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention in connection with a circular uetof the machine;

Fig. 6 is an illustration of the normal and special needles.

It is desirable in many types of hosiery to form longitudinal markings, which may occur so frequently as to constitute a longitudinally striped pattern, or be restricted to parts only of the stocking, to mark ofi' surfaces or parts of the articles for the improvement of its appearance or its structure. these and other uses, I shall describe one illustrative form of it for knitting a stocking, Fig. 5 having a high-spliced area H at the back of the ankle and a spliced sole, with a line of stitching T produced by my new devices marking the borders of the high splicing and the sole, as illustrated in Fig.

Referring now to Fig. 2, in machines of the type illustrated, the driving and control mechanism include a power shaft 30 through i which the machine is driven and a pattern While my machine is applicable to fast upon a shaft actuated from the drive shaft 30 through a gear 65, at a rate less than the rate of the shaft 30. During the normal round-and-round operation of the machine, forknitting the leg and foot of a stocking for instance, the knitting head may be driven through pulley :7, a gear not shown attached to said pulley, the gear (55, the gear 60. a pinion'on the shaft 30, and the bevel gear 31, or directly through shaft 30, and pulley 42.

The gear (35 rotates at a speed constantly related to that of the knitting head, which in the machine illustrated comprises a rotating needle cylinder. In the instance shown the ratio is one revolution of the gear 5 to four rotations of the knitting head.

For making a mark at each side of the stocking I refer to so move one or more special need es at each side of the circle as to tuck or accumulate loops upon them during the knitting of one or more courses on the ren' aining needles, then to knit at a succeeding course or courses, and so on. The needles engaged in this operation must be capable of normal operation during the knitting of the remainder of the article.

The elevation of the normal needles by the upper surfaces of the cams (S and 7 or by the jacks 380 is sutlicient to clear a previous 100 at the knocking-over level past the ent of the latch. I tuck upon a predetermined special needle or needles a having a latch a longer than the normal needles, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The advance of such a needle by the normal advancing surfaces of came- 6 and 7 is insufficient to clear its latch. A needle 11., so long as it travels in the same path as the remaining needles, will accumulate in its hook one yarn at each passage past the yarn feeding point at the mean location of the knitting wave formed by cams 6 and 7. y

In order to cause the special needle n to clear its loops to knit normally at the next revolution before accumulating other oops. I provide a supplemental cam 416 follow ing the following stitch cam 6, in the direction of travel of the needles for rotary work shown by the arrow N, Fig. 4.

My said machine may be provided with splicing mechanism cont-rolled from said shaft 80, for instance by cams 501 on the drum 120 geared to said shaft, coacting' machine to encounter and desired n'ianher.

through a thrust-bar 460 with a yarn guide actuated to feed yarn to a segment only of said needles.

For a usual; type of stocking the splicing yarn is fed to the short butt needles n employed for knittin the heel and toe pockets, and in this case t 'e special needles a may form a part of the high butt series, bein placed at, or one or two needles inside 0 the ends of the series of long butt needles n as indicated in Fig. 4.

With the particular arrangement above suggested in which the special needles are long butt needles, cam 416 when ad usted ispositioned outward .from the axis of the move the long butts only.

The heightof the highest part of the cam 416 above the ledge 4 is such as to cause a needle approaching it in the direction for rotary work to be elevated to the levelshown in Fig. 4, which level is high enough to clear-the long latch needles n, but not high enough to cause needles elevated by the cam 416 -.to encounter the widening picker 680.

During the normal operation of a hosiery knitting'machine of the type indicated the switch cam 415 is in an elevated inward position, where it will encounter and take down nearly to the'level of the ledge 4 needles approaching it at anylevel, whatever the length of their butts. N

It will be seen that if'the cam 416 is positioned as indicated, cam 415 remaining in its normal position, that the rotation of the machine will cause all of the long butt needles to pass above the cam 416, said needles being restored to the level of the ledge 4 at the cam 415 at each revolution.

The cam 416 may be made as a swinging switch cam generally similar to the switch cam 415 employed to elevate the long butt needles prior to reciprocal knitting for heels and toes. As shown, said cam is carried by a mounting movable toward and away from the needles, short axis 417 held for rotation by a' spring 418 in a bore 419 in a lever 420, which ro-v tation is limited by a pin 421, so that the cam is normally positioned with its point slightly below and outside of the ledge 4 of the cam ring. I

I provide means for positioning the cam 416 as described during normal rotary knitting, and for withdrawing the, said cam at intervals of two or more revolutions during one or more passages of the long butt needles, then again reinserting said cam during the passageof the short h'uttneedles in time with revolutions of the needle cylinder. so as to clear the special needles or in the Preferred mechanism for this purpose comprises said lever 420 pivoted at the back being formed integrally with a of the machine on the standard E, by means of separated lugs 422 perforated for said standard which lugs straddle the boss 0 holding said standard, vertical adjustment being provided for by collars 'd and e, of which the latter may be a part of a yarn supply bracket. A screw f in said lever 420 playing on the upper flat surface of the bed plate D serves as a support to prevent yielding of said lever downwardly.

Said lever 420 extends freely'around the back of the machine to the left side thereof at the desired location for the cam 416 and is provided with a dependin portion 423 bored for a plunger 424 adjustable by a screw and jam nut 425. A spring 426 tends to rock lever 420 on, standard E- to withdraw cam 416 to an outer idle position.

The plunger 424 lies in the plane of the cams and 65 removably attachedby screws to the face of the gear 65, which cams may be substantially 180 apart, so that the plunger 424 will.heencountered by said cams and movedoiit'wardly twice dur ing each four revolutions of the knitting head.

Movement of the lever due to the said cams 65?, 65 and the rotative position of said cams or gear 65 is such as to take the cam 416 from a radially withdrawn idle position at the time of passage by it of the short butt needles to an inward adjusted position determined by the plunger 424 and screw 425 and to hold said cam 416 in this position during one passage of each of the special needles n Vhen only one cam 65 upon thereciprocatory stroke opposite in direction to the arrow N, and that, in case some of the long butt needles approach it at the level of the ledge 4 in the opposite direction, their position will not be disturbed. lVhile I have shown the cams 65 65 as attachments of the gear 65(it will be obvious that they may be placed upon any part of a machine to be equipped with my new devices moving in a constant relation with. the motions of the knitting head.

In order to predetermine the beginning and end of the tucking operation in. time with the remaining instruinentsot the machine, I provide means for holding the lever 420 away from contact with its canis- 65 and 65". Preferred means for this purpose col'nprise a bell crank lever 110 pivoted on a screw stud 76 in one end of the shaft 76, the lmriaontal arm of said lever resting aho 'c and in the plane of cams 112 on the perlpl'zery of a speed-changing drum actuating I 102 at...ched t0 the right hand end of the pattern shaft. 80. in my said machine. Adjusting screw 113 carrying a jam-nut in the depending arm 423 of said lever 420 takes against the upright portion of the lever 110 to hold said lever 420 and the cam 416 in the position for operation of said cam. The absence of a cam 112 on the drum 102 will thus determine the \vitlulrawal of the cam 416 by the action of the gear ()5 and its attached cams. The drum 102 makes one revolution during each article. and the placing in the fabric of tuck stitches is accurately determined by the position of cams 112. which'are adjustably screwed on the face of the said drum 102.

In the machine improved when the machine is intended to be used for knitting 'upon transferred fabric sections provision is made for automatically withdrawing the -stitch cams 6 and T to level the needles at the end of the operation of knitting the previous article.

Devices for this purpose. as described and claimed inmy application Serial No. 807,535. tiled December 11*. 191?). llietters Patent No. 1.150.547. dated August 17. 1915] comprise a am on one of the thrust bars. such as 460" reacting with a pin 3T4 in a yoke 3T3 forming a part of the segment 370 carrying said stitch cams. 'lhis withdrawn-l. by the timing of the machine. always occurs with respect to the rotation of the knitting head at a predetermined one of alternate courses which. when the cam 416 is being actuated is that course at which said cam is withdrawn to leave the special needles at the tuck position.

In order now to prevent intertercin-e by the tucking cam with the leveled needles at this point in the operation. 1 provide a gap between cams 112 on the drum 102 near the place at which the lug 10o operates the belt shipper to stop the machine, to permit plunger 424 to enter between the cam on and (35" at the revolution upon which the stitch cam is withdrawn, after which revolution the machine stops.

The cam 416 is thus removed from the possibility of contact with the long butt. needles during movement of the machine prior to stoppage or before beginning a new article. to level the needles.

'lhe shatt and the drum 120 rotate in unison. whereby the position in the fabric of the spliced areas ll and S controlled by cams 501 and the tucked mark '1 are related in the desired manner.

In operation. the. machine knits the body of the article produced as usual. the cam no being operative to clear the. needles )1. at each course, but. upon the end of the lever 110 running off one of the cams 112, occurring substantially at the same time as the be innin r of the o )eration of the solicin a {-a e devices, the cam 416 is withdrawn. the" plunger 4-24 entering the path of cams (35 and (35", which reinsert cam 41o at each second revolution. when said cam 4113 is opposite the short-butt needles. and retain it. in position during passage of all the long butts, to cause the needles n to be cleared prior to their next passage of the stitch cams. The cam 416 may no left in its inward position to clear the long butts during knitting of the heel. if desired. be operated during knitting of the body or" the foot. and then be withdrawn. This withdrawal may occur just prior to stoppage ot' the machine. to, remove the cam 41G prior to leveling the needles for transfer.

\Yhile I have described the placing in the ial ric ot' the tucked mark T with relation to a stocking having a high spliced area and a spliced sole. it will be evident that my devices secure the placing of said mark at any prmletermined place in the't'abric whether or not said t'abric is spliced.

'hat I claim is:

1. A knitting machine having in combination driving devices including a rotary element. cams on said element and a needle cylinder rotated by said driving devices at a rate greater than that of said element, and tucking means comprising speeiai nee-dies,

an advancing cam forsaid needles, and a mounting for said advancing cam, said mounting and cam being adapted for unitary movelnent together to move the Cam toward and away from said needle cylinder into and out of position to atfect said special needles, a part of said mountin near said rotary element being adapted to be actuated by the cams thereon in one position of said mounting.

'2. In a circular knitting machine, needles in series having long and short operating butts. special needles at the ends ot one of said series and stitch cams at which said special needles accumulate loops. in cornbination with a supplemental cam to position the special needles to picpare them for normal knitting at the stitch cams, a lever upon one end of which said cam is mounted. and means acting at recurrent intervals on the other end of said lever during passage of the short butts at said cam to move said cam toward the center of the machine preparatory to acting on the needle butts and thereafter acting to withdraw said cam.

3. A knitting machine having needles. a rotary needle cylinder. and means fordriving said cylinder comprising a. rotary gear having a cam thereon rnnnin at a rate slower than that of said cylint er, in con1- bination with tucking means including a supplemental cam and means for moving said cam toward and away from the needle cylinder to render it operative and inoperative, consisting of av lever carrying said cam having its fulcrum between and extending between said cylinder and the cam on said gear,

4. A knitting machine having needles, a rotary needle cylinder, and means fordriving said cylinder'comprising a rotary gear having a cam thereon runnin at a rate slower than that of said cylin er, in combination with tucking means including a supplemental cam and means for moving said cam toward and away from the needle cylinder to render it operative and inoperative, consisting of a lever carrying said cam having its fulcrum between and extending between said cylinder and the cam,

on said gear, and pattern controlled means restraining said lever from operation during predetermined times.

5. In a'tucking mechanism for automatic stocking knitting machines, pattern mech} anism controlling the knitting devices,

.stitch cams, needles and a supplemental advancing cam for tucking normally; ,tioned to cause all of the needles to posinit, in combination with means controlled by said pattern. mechanism to withdraw said cam at the end of a cycle, of operations, to per- 'mit the needles to be leveled for transfer.-

6. In a knitting machine, the combination of needles, needle and cam carriers,

stitch cams,'means to rotate'one of saidcarriers, a part moving. at a rate related to that of the moving carrier, a supplemental cam for cooperation with some of the needles, and a mounting for said cam comprising a lever havingone end movable toward and away from said needle carrier carrying the supplemental cam atsaid end and having a part'in the path of actuating means carried by said moving part, a pattern surface, and means controlled thereby for rendering said lever inoperative by said actuating means.

7. In a knitting machine, the combination of stitch cams, devices for leveling the needles andnleans to operate said devices at a predetermined revolution, a supplemental cam normally positioned for action, means to withdraw said cam at intervals for tucking, and automatic means acting to withdraw said cam during said revolution. In testimony vhereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT \V. SCOTT. Witnesses:

MARY F. GRIFFIN, MARGARET J. BARRY. 

